Women’s Crisis Support Team placed 46 purple flags on the lawn in front of the Josephine County Courthouse this morning, marking the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.The flags stand for each death due to domestic violence in Josephine County in modern times.

Businesses around Grants Pass will host silhouettes of women and children, the Silent Witness Project, as well. The silhouettes include a name and often a story of a local victim. “After last year’s Silent Witness Project, Superior Lumber came forward and donated plywood to make more Silent Witnesses,” says Amy Harboldt, the team’s prevention educator. The mother of a victim took on the project of cutting and sanding eight new silhouettes, while D.J.’s Bump and Paint donated the painting and another volunteer made the shields that list the victim’s names and stories. “These are all amazing community members who saw the project and wanted to help it grow,” Harboldt says. The Silent Witnesses all will be up by Monday at: Great Northwest Music Company; Sandi’s Candies; Tierra Del Sol; Elegance; Household Furniture; the Women’s Health Center of Southern Oregon; and Chesi Jo’s.

Also part of the month of events is an Oct. 22 candlelight vigil beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Josephine County Courthouse. At 6 p.m., the bells of nearby Newman United Methodist Church will ring 46 times to represent those who have died.

Harboldt added that a representative from the team is to speak briefly at the county Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, when the commissioners are expected to proclaim Domestic Violence Awareness month in the county.

The bulletin board at the Josephine Community Library main branch has information about domestic violence throughout the month, as does the main office of the team at 560 N.E. F St. Find out more about the Women’s Crisis Support Team and its projects online at wcstjoco.org or by calling the main office at 541-476-3877.